Not everyone happy with their cut from Saw

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The blood-soaked horror movie Saw made its young
Australian filmmakers millionaires, but not everyone is happy.

One of the Hollywood stars of the film, Cary Elwes, wants his
cut and is going to court to get it.

Saw, the brainchild of former Melbourne unknowns Leigh
Whannell and James Wan, was one of Hollywood's most profitable
films last year costing just $US1.2 million ($A1.6 million) to
shoot in Los Angeles, but reaping $US102.9 million ($A136.8
million) at the worldwide box office.

DVD sales of the film raked in tens of millions dollars
more.

Whannell, who starred in and wrote the violent, psychologically
disturbing film, Wan, the director, and the cast, including Elwes,
Danny Glover and Monica Potter all forfeited big upfront paycheques
for a slice of the film's profits.

The Los Angeles Times newspaper reported today Elwes has
filed a lawsuit in Los Angeles County Superior Court against his
own management firm, which also was involved in producing Saw,
alleging breach of contract and unjust enrichment.

Elwes is seeking $US500,000 ($A664,982) in damages.

The suit names as defendants Evolution Entertainment, Evolution
Management Inc, Saw Production Inc, Twisted Pictures and producers
Gregg Hoffman, Mark Burg and Oren Koules, who are also executives
of the firm that manages Elwes.

The attorney for the defendants, Martin D Singer, said Elwes'
suit "clearly has no merit".

"The back-end deal was proposed by Cary Elwes' own agent and
attorney," Singer told the LA Times.

"My client never proposed the back-end deal at all."

Singer added that Elwes "is still getting paid his share of the
producers' net profits".

Elwes suit alleges he was promised a minimum of one per cent of
the producers' net profits from the film. It also alleges that
during a conversation about a "start date" for the movie, Koules
informed Elwes that they were "going to make a sweet deal on the
film".

Also, Elwes alleges that during a September 2004 press junket to
promote the movie, Burg told him that he "would make more money (on
Saw) than he had ever made before".

In the weeks before the release of the film, Whannell and Wan,
both 28, had joked about how their bank accounts were empty.

Hoffman told AAP last December after Saw had made more
than $US50 million ($A66.5 million) at the North American box
office Whannell and Wan "will be millionaires" from their cut of
the profits. Hoffman also said the Melbourne duo's decision to
reject an upfront payment "was the smartest thing they have ever
done".

British-born Elwes, according to his lawsuit, is not so
happy.

Elwes, 42, claims he was paid a salary of just $US2,587.20
($A3,440.9) and has since received $US53,275. ($A70,853.8)

The actor alleges he should have received "box office bonuses
equal to the highest paid an actor who performed in Saw" as well as
a percentage of profits "equivalent to the highest paid actor" in
the film.

Glover, best known for his roles with Mel Gibson in the
Lethal Weapons films, stands to receive two per cent of the
gross profits from Saw, according to the lawsuit.

Potter, star of the TV series Boston Legal, has received
more than $US250,000 ($A332,491) from box office bonuses for
Saw, it was alleged.

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